


Pretty Little Things

by finkpishnets



Series: Different Pages of the Same Name [2]
Category: Bandom, The Like
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-06
Updated: 2010-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-28 12:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/308084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finkpishnets/pseuds/finkpishnets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU. Annie had been prepared for her first day of high school to suck, she just hadn’t realized it was going to suck this hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pretty Little Things

**Author's Note:**

> Prequel to Different Pages of the Same Name. Just a short, pointless little fic written for the hs_bingo prompt ‘late for class’.

Annie had been prepared for her first day of high school to suck, she just hadn’t realized it was going to suck _this hard_. She doesn’t know anyone, the school is ten times the size of her old junior high, and she realized twenty minutes into a discussion about Faulkner first period that she was in the wrong class and had to make an embarrassing exit to the sound of snickering.

And now she’s late for History, probably in the wrong building altogether, and a detention is _just_ what she needs to make this day really memorable.

She’s about twenty seconds away from abandoning the search altogether and going home to hide under her bed ‘till graduation when she turns the corner and runs straight into someone coming the other way.

“Ouch,” she says stupidly, rubbing at her elbow where it grazed against the wall.

“You should really watch where you’re going,” the other girl says. She beautiful, the sort of beautiful Annie’s only ever seen in old magazines, and her eyes are narrowed in annoyance.

“Sorry,” Annie says, and she can feel the way her skin’s flushing, feel her eyes burning with embarrassment as she fights back frustrated tears, and _great_ , that’s all she needs.

The girl stares at her for a moment and then sighs.

“It’s alright,” she says. “It wasn’t entirely your fault. I’m Laena Geronimo.”

“Annie Monroe.”

“I don’t know you, Annie Monroe,” Laena says, and Annie thinks she sounds more intrigued than irritated.

“I just moved here,” Annie says as if it wasn’t completely obvious.

“Just before high school? That sucks.”

Annie smiles awkwardly. “Yeah.”

“So, where are you supposed to be? I’m assuming you’re _not_ deliberately skipping class?” Laena says, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile and it makes her look even prettier.

“Biology,” Annie says. “How about you?”

“Oh, I _am_ skipping class,” Laena laughs, and Annie can’t help but smile back. “You’re in the wrong block. I wouldn’t worry, teachers always give students a little more slack when they first start, and even if they don’t, I’m sure those doe-eyes of yours will help you get away with anything.”

Annie blushes.

“Thanks,” she says, and then holds out the map the woman in reception had given her this morning. “Um, could you…”

“Here,” Laena says, taking it and tipping it on its side. “This is where you want to be.”

“You’re a life saver,” Annie says, and Laena winks.

“Don’t spread it around.”

“Bye,” Annie says uncertainly.

“I’ll see you Annie Monroe.”

 

+

 

Her teacher isn’t as taken with her ‘doe-eyes’ as Laena apparently, and makes Annie turn her desk around, facing the entire class for the whole lesson. She ends up spending the majority of it with her head down, hair covering her face like a curtain as she blushes furiously.

She really hates high school.

Lunch is even worse; everyone already has friends to sit with, spots picked out, and Annie’s left staring around helplessly. There’s the soccer team and the cheerleaders and some guy wearing the brightest zebra print trousers Annie’s ever seen and absolutely nowhere for Annie to fit in.

She’s about ready to go hide in the bathroom like the loser she apparently is when someone’s hand wraps around her wrist and tugs gently.

“Come on,” Laena says, and Annie’s never been so grateful to see anyone in her entire life. “Let’s sit over here.”

Laena leads her over to a table near the edge of the room where it’s quiet enough to talk.

“So,” she says, taking a bite of her sandwich, “how’s your first day going?”

Annie shrugs as she pops a chip in her mouth.

“That bad huh?”

“Ms Charles made me face the class because I was late,” Annie says, and she can feel the humiliated blush start to make another appearance.

“What a bitch,” Laena says. “Don’t worry, no one will remember by tomorrow. The joys of the fickle world that is high school.”

“Hmm,” Annie hums. “How’s your day going?”

“Great!” Laena laughs. “Mostly because I’ve only been to one class so far.”

“You’re not worried you’re going to get detention?” Annie asks.

“Nope, it’s all part of the experience. This year I’m going to do the rebellious thing, next year I’m going to sign my life away to the newspaper, the year book committee, and possibly the cheerleaders, junior year I’m going to become an art kid with a side of band geek, and then senior year I’m going to surprise everyone by becoming top of the class and graduating as valedictorian.”

“Wow,” Annie blinks, “that’s one hell of a plan.”

Laena smiles brightly.

“Now,” she says, “Let’s talk music.”

They spend the rest of the break cheerfully discussing The Beatles and The Raincoats and David Bowie, and when Laena insists they swap cell numbers, Annie hands her phone over instantly.

When the bell rings they walk through the halls together until they have to split ways, and Annie ducks her head with a laugh when Laena wolf whistles at her instead of calling goodbye. Annie isn’t entirely sure what she’s getting herself into here but she thinks at least the ride is going to be fun.

 

+

 

“So,” Annie’s mom says on the ride home, “how was it?”

Annie’s phone vibrates inside her bag and she pulls it outs to see a message from Laena - _‘Let’s be late to class again tomorrow. x’_ – and smiles.

“Yeah,” she says happily. “Yeah, it was great.”


End file.
